A Dilemma in Addiction
by Max Koffee
Summary: Everyone likes to be cared about. Hachiman is no exception. With the arrival of a new contender, will Hachiman be able to stay neutral from her (it?) or will he shower the object of his affection with love unlike any we thought could be imaginable by our benevolent loner. Will he forego the want for something genuine, or will he find it in the newest contender? It is all up to him.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Oregairu. Oregairu is the property of Watari Wataru.**

Part 1:

"Do you, Hikigaya Hachiman, take Totsuka Saika to be your wife – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live? "

"I do."

And do you, Totsuka Saika, take Hikigaya Hachiman to be your husband – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?

My angel, Totsuka, had the most adorable look on his face. His face was a deep shade of red, but he was smiling regardless and with shining eyes. He opened his mouth to give his response,

"I…." Just as he was about to his answer, the world began fading away and everything became dark.

"Hikki. Hikki! Wake Up, Hikki!" I heard as I groggily lifted my heavy eyelids. The darkness was quickly replaced by the view of a certain pinked haired girl shaking my shoulders, with expectant eyes.

 _It was… it was just a dream, wasn't it? I WAS SO CLOSE! But… I suppose it's for the best. My angel, Totsuka, is something to be treasured. To be admired from a distance. I would be committing treason to the world if I were to keep him for myself. Yes… is a necessary sacrifice to maintain the balance of the world._

"Hikki… why are you crying? Do you have a headache? Stomach ache? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?!" Yuigahama panicked.

"No… it's just that I realized that the best things in the world are truly unattainable…" I say, wiping my tears away. "That aside, what's up? Is it club time already?"

I look around the room, but there was nobody around. I take a look at the clock and see that it was 30 minutes after the last class ended. I guess I slept through all my afternoon classes.

"Yeah, Hikki! Actually, we're pretty late. But you were sleeping so peacefully and with such a happy expression that I…" she trailed off, face turning a bit red.

"So… you were watching me sleep for the last half hour?" I ask, putting two and two together.

"WHAT? NO! I mean, yeah, Iwasherewhileyouweresleepingbutitsnotlikeiwaswatchingyouimeanthatwouldbesocreepysothereisnowayiwoulddosomethinglikethat." She exploded with her denial. She was now out of breath, and her face was even more red than before.

"Yeah, whatever. Well, let's head to the clubroom. No doubt Yukinoshita already called the police on me, telling them that I've raped you or something." I can already imagine the cops at my door tonight, with a warrant for my arrest.

"Don't worry about that Hikki, I already gave Yukinon a text about why we're late. She said it's alright as long as I send her a picture of you slee-" She cut herself, with hands over her mouth and eyes wide like she just said something she wasn't supposed to.

"A picture of me what?" I urge her to continue.

"A picture of you…um…ummm… of you lazying around during the cultural festival! Yeah! That's it." She blurted out.

Makes sense.

"So, she wants ammunition against me? I'm not looking forward to this." I say, already mentally preparing for the inevitable banters awaiting me in the clubroom.

I pack up and we then make our way to the club room that we have become so accustomed to for the better part of the year. Honestly, I could probably walk to the club with my eyes closed at this point.

Not one for small talk, I didn't try to start a conversation. Instead, I basked in the comfortable silence between us. But of course, Yuigahama was not me.

"Hey, Hikki, it's been a while since I was the one waiting for you, huh?" Yuigahama pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess it has. I gotta admit, it feels nice to be waited on. I wonder if this is how you always feel when I have to wait for you to finish talking with your clique every day." I chime in.

"Mou, Hikki..." before she could finish her thought, we arrived at the clubroom door.

Sliding open the door, we enter.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!" She says as she scampers toward Yukinon and dives in for a hug.

"Yo." I give my signature greeting as I make my way to my seat and pull out a book.

"Ara? Done with your beauty sleep? Though, you could have fooled me, Hikki-fishy-kun." Yukinoshita says with a smirk. She gets up and serves us tea.

"Hah? I don't want to hear anything from somebody who collects pictures of me for malicious use, Yukipedia." I retaliate. Yukinoshita is now blushing. Seems like I've caught her red-handed. "I mean, honestly, aren't you too old to be blackmailing me with pictures of my being lazy at the festival?"

The blush is now gone, and instead, Yukinoshita seems confuses. She shoots a look at Yuigahama who just looks away sheepishly. She then looks back at me and was about to say something when…

 **Knock. Knock.**

Recomposing herself, Yukinoshita says, "Come in." Seems like she decided to drop the matter.

With Yukinoshita's consent, the clubroom's door slides open and a student enters. Said student was none other than the Fire Queen of Sobu High, Miura.

 _Great. What the hell is she doing here?_

I know that the Ice Queen and the Fire Queen don't get along, but seriously, I'm pretty sure there wasn't any steam in the room before…

"Yahallo, Yumiko! Did ya come with a request?" Yuigahama beamed as she motioned for Miura to take a seat across from her.

"Yeah, Yui, I am here for a request. It's about…. Hina." She admits.

"Ahh… Hina, huh?" Yuigahama repeats, not looking surprised. "I guess we do need to do something about her."

Miura nods and looks at Yukinoshita.

"As much as it pains me, I'd like to make a request. My friend, Hina, has recently got a hold of a… certain game. She's become addicted to it, and won't talk about anything else. She puts everything else that needs to be done aside, just so that she can play the game. She doesn't do her homework, her chores, and she's even beginning to neglect her friend. So please, do something about it."

"It seems that your friend has sought our solace in this game that you speak of. Is there anything that has been troubling her?" Yukinoshita asks.

"Nothing. As I said before, she just coincidentally got her hands on this game, and now she can't seem to put it down. She's completely addicted!" Miura sighs worriedly. Despite her usual demeanor, she truly does have a mother-like disposition towards those she cares about, especially her friends.

"I understand. So, you want us to rectify this addiction of hers', correct?" Yukinoshita surmises.

"Yeah, that's right." Miura affirms.

"Alright then. Bring her here tomorrow and we will do our best to solve this problem. But before that, could you tell us what game it is that Ebina-san is addicted to?" Yukinoshita requested.

"Ah yea… it's… um… a gal game…" she muttered, obviously ashamed.

 **SPLURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT**

This entire time, I was drinking my tea as I was listening to the request. When I heard that it was about Ebina, I thought that Miura finally decided to clamp down on her Fujoshi addiction. Never in a million years would I have imagined this…

As I accidently spit my tea out from the shock of Miura's answer, I look up and am greeted with the disgusted faces of Yukinoshita and Miura, while Yuigahama just looks worried. But I don't care about their looks. I need to know what the heck is going on!

"Wait, wait! We are talking about the same girl, right?! The girl who spouts homo-erotic crap out loud every day in class? The same girl who's constantly sent to the infirmary due to excessive nosebleeds from fantasizing about me and Hayama together? That girl?!" I splutter out, wiping the table clean of the sit-out tea with a tissue.

"Y-yeah, Hikki. That's the Hina Ebina we're talking about. The one in our class." Yuigahama confirms.

I sit there rubbing my temples.

 _This is so wrong…_

"How did a Fujoshi-loving maniac get addicted to a gal game. They are like night and day! This shouldn't even be possible." I claim.

"Look, Hikio! It doesn't matter how it happened. What matters is that we need to fix it. So just drop it, would you?!" Miura snaps.

"Tch. Fine." I concede.

"Well, that's my entire request. So, you just need me to bring Hina here tomorrow, right? Well, if that's all, I'll be taking my leave." Miura stands up.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Yumiko!" Yuigahama says.

With that, it's just the three of us again. I sit there, wondering how the world can flip upside down so easily. After some time, I pondered on something else.

"Hey, how are we supposed to solve the request anyways? I mean, it's not like we can just force her to stop being addicted." I questioned.

"Oh, you just leave that to me, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita replied with the mischievous smirk on her face.

 _Oh boy, this can't be good._

/

24 hours later, we were back in the clubroom awaiting our expected visitors, Miura and Ebina. I still have no idea on how we're going to solve the problem, since Yukinoshita didn't shed any light on the plan she had in mind. We sat there, drinking tea and engaging in our respective activities: reading a novel, fiddling with a phone, and reading a trashy light novel. (With good 'plot' of course) After a good twenty minutes, a knock was heard on the clubroom door. With Yukinoshita's permission, the door slid open and the two guests of honor made their way into the room.

"Yahallo, Yumiko! Yahallo, Hina! Sit, sit!" Yuigahama greeted the two heartily.

"Yahallo, Yui. Yumiko said you wanted me to come today?" Ebina asked, slightly confused.

"Actually, Hina, I asked them to help me… with you." Miura admitted. She cleared her throat. "Hina, this is an intervention. You've been so addicted to that game you play lately, and I'm worried about you! You're not studying, doing your homework, doing chores. You're not even hanging out with us like you used to. You're just in the corner playing that game of yours, now on. You're among people who care about you, so please let us help you."

 _Don't make me a part of this demographic. I couldn't care less about her!_

"Addicted…addicted? I'm not addicted!" Ebina scoffed. "I could stop any time I want to!"

"Really, Ebina-san? That's great news. Just hand me your console and your game, and you can be on your way." Yukinoshita interjected.

"Y-you want me to give you my game?" Ebina murmured, scared.

"Yes, that is correct. That way, there won't be a question of whether you are addicted to the game or not, simply because you won't be able to be addicted to it." Yukinoshita explained, calmly.

"…" Ebina was silent.

"Hina, come on, give her the game. You can't be addicted to a game like that right now? We're about to graduate, and you need to study so you can do well on the exams and get into a good college." Miura reasoned.

"Yeah, Hina. Let's have a study group together! It'll be fun!" Yuigahama agreed.

"…" Still silent.

"Look, Ebina-san, if you really don't have a problem then this should be easy for-" Yukinoshita started.

"FINE! YOU'RE RIGHT! I HAVE A PROBLEM!" Ebina exploded. "I can't stop playing 'ECSTASY GIRLS"! How can I, when Yume-chan is sooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!" She brings out her PS Vita and reveals a screen with an image of a digital High School girl with a dark-blue colored pony-tail, adoring blue eyes, caring facial expression, and a uniform much like the ones at our school.

"I didn't really mean to get addicted, honest! But my cousin let me borrow the game because she told me it was fun, so I gave it a try! The next thing I know, I was hooked. I got to make my own girl, get to know her, confess to her, I could even go dates on her! There's even a voice activated feature where you can speak to her and the touch screen lets her react to where you touch her! It is a masterpiece." Ebina continued to defend her stand. "Through this game, I found my one true love! Yume-chan cares for me and I care for her. WE ARE MEANT TO BE!"

Okay, this was getting disturbing real fast.

 _Someone please help her._

Before Ebina could continue, a hand was place on her should. Yukinoshita's hand.

"Ebina-san. No matter which way you look at it, you're addicted. And someone who really cares for you" She glances at Miura "requested that we take care of this addiction of yours now before you do something you regret. So please, help us help you. Give us the game, Ebina-san." Yukinoshita said quietly, but sternly.

Ebina's quivering right hand began holding up the PS Vita, slowly making its way to place it in Yukinoshita's hand. Halfway there, her left hand grabbed her right arm and tried to hold it back to stop the separation from her beloved game. After a moment of a mental battle, Ebina's logical side won out and her left hand let go of her right arm, allowing the PS Vita to make its way to Yukinoshita's palm.

"You did the right thing." Yukinoshita approved.

"Hina! I'm so proud of you!" Miura exclaimed.

"You did it, Hina!" Yuigahama joined in.

They celebrated for a while, with the girls giving Ebina words of encouragement. I just sat there wondering how bizarre this whole ordeal was. A Fujoshi became a Bishojo lover and the conclusions being so… simple. I didn't even have to lift a finger.

"Thanks guys, really. I'm going to do my best to get back to normal. But still, can I ask what you're going to do with my game?" Ebina asked.

"Well, since the root of the problem is the game and not your console, you can have this back." Yukinoshita removed the game disc from the PS Vita and handed the console back to Ebina. "However, I will confiscate this as part of the request and return it when the time is right." She said, waving the disc in her hand.

"I-I understand…" she said, a bit sullen.

"Well, it seems that our business here is done. Thank for hearing my request Yukinoshita and Yui! And uhh… thank you too, Hikio." Miura said as she and Ebina bowed.

I grunted acknowledgement even though I didn't do anything.

"Well, we should get going. Yui, we're going to karaoke now, do you want to come?" Miura asked.

"I still have club, so I can't. Sorry, Miura." Yuigahama replied.

"It's fine, Yuigahama-san. You may go, I don't believe there will be any more requests today. It's almost time for club to end, anyways." Yukinoshita interjected.

"Really? Thanks, Yukinon!" Yuigahama said as she assaulted Yukinoshita with a hug, much to the latter's embarrassment. After packing up, Yuigahama followed Yumiko and Ebina out the door while saying her goodbyes.

"Bye bye, Yukinon! See you tomorrow, Hikki!" Yuigahama waved.

With that, only me and Yukinoshita were left in the room. For a few minutes, we didn't say a word. I was reading my light novel while she was reading her book. About five minutes from the end of club hours, however, she got up and made her way towards me. Curious, I put my book down to see what was the matter.

"Hikigaya-kun, I have a favor to ask." She words said it was a favor, but her tone said it was a command.

"Yes?" I let her continue.

She pulled out the game disc that Ebina left behind and held it up.

"I want you to hold onto this for me." She stated.

 _She has to be kidding me._

"You can't be serious. If anyone found out I had this in my possession, my reputation would be ruined." I retaliated.

"Hikigaya-kun, last time I checked, you had no reputation that could be ruined more than it already is. Or am I mistaken." _Damn… I hate to admit it, but she's right._ "And all you need to do is keep it in your home until it is called upon. This is a job that even a hooligan such as yourself can accomplish." She attempted to cajole me.

"If my sister ever found out I had something like this, I'd lose my standing as her older brother! You can't do this to me, Yukinoshita!" I groaned. "If my sister disowns me, who's going to wake me up for school every day?!"

Yukinoshita did little to hide her mirth at my panic.

"Ara, Hikigaya-kun, are you saying that you are so incompetent that you cannot even pull your own weight on a request. If I remember correctly, Yuigahama and myself did all the talking while you just sat there during this whole ordeal. Would it not be fair to say that you have yet to contribute to the request? It is a shame for Komachi-san. A brother who can't properly do a job cannot properly take care of his sister."

 _This bitch…_

Though I am not susceptible to most provocations, there are exceptions. Especially when my loyalty to Komachi is called into question.

"Fine! I'll show you that I can keep a stupid game like this, without incident. But after that, when the request is officially complete, you have to admit that I'm the best big brother ever. And you even have to call me 'onii-chan' while doing so! I mean, unless you're scared." If I was knowingly going to fall for her provocations, I was definitely going to get something out of it.

"Without incident, eh? Fine. However, if there is an incident before Ebina is completely cured from her addiction, even the slightest one, then I win the bet." Yukinoshita proposed. "And WHEN I win, I will order you to become my baggage carrier for a day when I go s-shopping." She concluded with a smirk, although with slightly rosy cheeks.

"Hmph, you're on. But don't back out on me." I said as I put my hand out.

"Oh, I won't. Instead, aim those words at a mirror." Yukinoshita countered, taking my hand in hers.

We shook on it, and the bet was officially on.

 _Never would I have thought that a Yukinoshita would be this foolish... My path to victory is practically assured. All I have to do is leave it home and never touch it. Oh, yes… victory shall be sweet!_

With those thoughts running through my mind, I let go of her hand and gather my belongings for departure. I wait for her to lock up the club room and we return the keys together and walk out. As we make it to the school entrance, we stop to say our good byes.

"I will see you tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun. Try not to lose the bet too fast, would you? It'd be a shame if you made it too easy." she mused.

"Heh, okay Yukipedia. You and your database of a brain won't be able to comprehend it when I win, anwyays. See ya tomorrow." I remark as I wave good-bye.

Both feeling confident, we turn around and head our separate ways home.

/

I came home to find the house still empty. I shoot Komachi a text and find that she's out with friends and that she'll be home in an hour or to make dinner.

With time to kill, I decided to take a quick shower and watch some tv. I surfed through some channels, but there was good nothing on.

 _This is why people don't bother to buy cable anymore!_

Still bored, I went to my room and decided to read the light novel I started in the club room, only to realize I forgot to pack it up today.

 _Crap, I must have left it in the club room._

At this point, I was bored out of my mind. I lay there, on my bed, wishing for something to do. I look towards my backpack and remember the homework I have to turn in by Monday. _Nahhhhhhhhhhhhh._ Then my eyes land on my smart phone on the desk, and I am reminded that there is a world of videos I can watch on Youtube. _It's too far._ Lastly, my eyes make their way to the small two-compartment drawer right next to me where I had just recently placed the game Ebina left in the care of the Service Club. It was sitting there, along with my own PS Vita and my other game discs.

Laying on my bed, I wondered what could have possibly made such a hardcore Fujoshi become addicted to a gal game called "ECSTASY GIRLS".

In hindsight, I should have left it at that. After all, if it could make a Homo-loving lunatic bend the other way, what would it do to a straight laced guy like me? I should have played one of my other games.

In hindsight, I should have just stopped being a lazy bum and gotten up to get my phone and watch some goddam cat videos.

In hindsight, I should have tried to finish the homework that was due in five days.

But instead of doing any of those things, I decided to try to scope out what made Ebina so addicted, purely out of boredom. And that was a mistake.

Because for the rest of that week, I didn't go to school.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Sup guys, I'm back with a new story. For those of you who came from my first story and haven't given up on me yet, thank you! I mean it. And rest assured, I have not given up on that story yet, I've just decided to put it on hold for now. I'm still giving readers a chance to vote on the options. (By the way, for those of you who think that i am upset with reviewers who were harsh towards my chapter 5, that is simply not true. I appreciate your honesty and respect your opinions. You let me see that I did, in fact, make a complete 180 in my story and I mean to learn from my mistakes.)

Anyways, on to this story: what do you guys think? I made it a lot less dramatic from my previous work. Before anyone asks, let me be clear that no, this is not going to be a Ebina x Hachiman or Miura x Hachiman. The pairings are still undecided, but those two are not options. They simply helped me open the story up, and will probably become less that frequent in this story.

This story will probably have 3 or 4 parts in total, but each will be long chapters (hopefully) like this. And of course, I'll do my best to stay consistent this time ;)

That being said, I am open to reviews and suggestion, as always. And feel free to follow and/or favorite if you're enjoying the story.

Until next time


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Oregairu. Oregairu is the property of Watari Wataru**

 **Part 2:**

I sit on my bed, covered by my blanket, and in relative darkness. The only light is the one illuminating from the LCD screen of my PS Vita, displaying a waist-length black-haired girl with piercing blue eyes and an almost doll-like face. She donned a uniform consisting of a white t-shirt with a ribbon for a tie, a navy-blue blazer that complimented her two...ahem…. assets, and a combo of low skirt and thigh-high tights that would make even the most virtuous of men wonder if they should risk it all. Truly, she was a beauty to behold, and surely no 3-D woman could ever hope to match such perfection, right?

The only thing that marred the beauty that was displayed before me was the icy cold aura she was exuding. She did not seem very pleased, and the frown upon her lips only furthered this notion.

"Kana-tan, I said I'm sorry. It was an accident and it won't happen again, okay?" I pleaded to the girl inside the hand-held console.

"Hmph. It seems that a beast guided by lust, such as you, cannot keep his hands to himself. Fine, I'll forgive you this once. But next time you'd better think twice before bringing your filthy claw talons anywhere near my skirt." The girl said, with arms crossed under her bosom and her face turned away with both eyes closed.

"Thank you soooo much, Kana! To show you how sorry I am, how about I treat you to a movie this Tuesday?" I say with a relieved sigh.

This seemed to have gotten her attention, as she opened one eye curiously.

"Oh? And what movie may this be?" She inquired with a tone of wonder.

"Haha, I just know you'll love it. I got us tickets to see Pan-chan III: Lost in the Zoo!" I say excitedly.

Kana just stood there, with her mouth slightly open and a smile forming on her lips. But she quickly caught herself and returned to her neutral face.

"I see. I suppose that is an acceptable compensation for your blunder. Alright, I will hold you accountable and accept your peace negotiations." She says with tone of superiority.

"Aww, Kana, I know how much you love Pan-chan! You can't hide your excitement from me." I tease.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now, Hachi, you'd better start getting ready for—" she began to say.

-KNOCK KNOCK-

"Onii-chan! Get up! Get up! It's time to get ready for school!" I hear Komachi shouting from the other side of the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up." I groan, dreading the fact that I will be separated from Vita-chan, and more importantly, Kana-tan, for the entire school day.

"Alright, I got to go. I'll see you later." I say with a sad smile.

"Good riddance." She says with a flip of a hair.

I smile, as I know she'll definitely miss me, and turn the console off. After that, I get up and go to the bathroom to freshen up. As I take a look in the mirror, I immediately see the effects of my nightly vigils with Vita-chan. With dark bags under my eyes, and my eyes looking even more tired than usual, I've begun to look even more dead than usual. Sighing, I wash my face and brush my teeth before entering the bath.

Once inside the bath, I recount the recent events that have transpired. On Tuesday night, out of pure boredom, I succumbed to my own curiosity and entered the world of ECSTASY GIRLS. The game was a never-ending interactive free-play where you can make relationships through various means and decisions were completely up to you. Each of the "heroines" had their own personalities, likes and dislikes, and they even reacted to your actions differently. Once you enter an actual relationship, you have the option of making the game go in real-time so that you can arrange actual dates or other events. At first, I was just dabbling, trying to waste some time. But at some point, I became infatuated with the girl whom I was wanted to conquer, simply because she seemed somewhat familiar. It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't seem to remember who she reminds me of. Anyway, her name is Kana Kishimo. She was a high school girl with both money and brains, and a strong personality to boot. At first, I was put off by her for rejecting my feeble attempt at friendship, but then I realized something. I wasn't genuine enough with her, and THAT'S why she rejected me. Revamped with newfound purpose, I went through many events until I finally gained her honest, although snarky friendship.

By that time, I realized it was already Wednesday morning, and I had to get ready for school. Reluctant to be separated from my first ever actual friend, I deceived Komachi by pretending to head out for school, but actually hiding behind a building until she left the house so I could sneak back in. Since the house was empty, I was never found out. I could make up an excuse for school, too, so that was taken care of. I usually come home before Komachi, so she won't be suspicious if she sees me home after school, either. My plan was fool-proof, and I could enjoy my day with Kana all day without interruption. And I did just that. As the two of us spent more time together, we got closer. I learned even more about her. She appeared to be condescending, always acting superior and always alone, but under act of superiority was a sweet, caring, yet awkward girl. When Komachi came back home from school, we had dinner as usual. I did my best to not be suspicious, and I believe it worked. After dinner, I locked myself back into my room and unknowingly did another all-nighter for Kana-tan. Still unwilling to be apart from Kana-chan, and convincing myself that I won't get in trouble for not going to school yet, I repeated my deception for both Thursday and Friday.

I got a text from Yuigahama asking what happened to me, but I just made up the excuse of being sick. I told her that I'll be back on Monday, and asked her to relay the message to Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka-sensei. With that, I spent the rest of the week furthering my relationship with Kana. At some point in my journey to conquer Kana's heart, she captured mine, and the two of us eventually became a couple. ACTUAL couples, not a flaky relationship. Me and Kana have something special and anyone who thinks otherwise is just jealous. She listens to me and I listen to her. She doesn't make fun of my eyes, nor does this look down on my loner personality. Likewise, I look past her icy personality and see her for the kind-hearted girl she truly is. We may banter, but it is never ill-willed. We have an understanding of one another like no other couple ever could. If I had to, I'd give up my life for her. She is that special.

Some people may look at this situation and say that this is a clear case of game addiction, but I beg to differ. If I was actually "addicted", I wouldn't be able to stop playing the game. I am clearly able to stop playing in my own will. For example, I stop playing when I eat, sleep, and use the bathroom. Yeah, I can stop whenever I want. I just choose to keep playing because Kana-tan would be lonely without me.

Anyway, that leads to where I am today. It's Monday, and I regrettably have to attend school. If I didn't, I would seem suspicious since I already said I'd be back in school by then. Sighing, I get out of the bath and wear my uniform. After that, I head downstairs where breakfast and Komachi await me.

"Morning, onii-chan." Komachi says, mouth full of her breakfast.

"Morning, and stop talking with your mouth full." I say, yawning.

"Hey, Onii-chan, why do you lock your door now on? You hiding something?" She questions with an arched eye-brow.

"What? Of course not." I scoff.

"Uhuh…" She was clearly not impressed.

Though she wasn't convinced, she didn't pry further, to which I'm thankful for. After breakfast, I headed out to school on my bike. By the time I made it to the front gate, I still had 10 minutes before homeroom. After locking my bike, I went in to change my shoes, and headed to class. As I entered the class in stealth Hikki, I noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary. Hayama and his clique were chatting away as usual. Ebina seemed to be normal too. I strolled to my seat and saw Yuigahama coming towards me.

"Hey, Hikki." She waves as she walks over to my desk. "Feeling better?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I just needed some rest, so now I'm all good." I say, remembering my original excuse.

"Really? You don't look very good. You look even more tired than usual." She observes as she points out the bags under my eyes.

"Ahh yeah, I guess I had a hard time sleeping. I was…. Thinking about stuff." I reply.

Before she could ask me to elaborate, Hiratsuka-sensei came in and class began. Thank god.

As Yuigahama suspected, I WAS tired. Because of that, I slept through all my classes, only waking up for lunch and going to my regular spot. By the end of the day, I was rejuvenated from the rest, and was ready for club. As usual, I waited outside the classroom for Yuigahama to finish her chatting with her clique so we could go to the clubroom. Eventually, she finished and came out.

"Thanks for waiting, Hikki." Yuigahama said cheerfully.

I grunted.

The rest of the way, Yuigahama indulged in some idle chit chat and I just occasionally nodded my head to make it seem like I was paying attention. While Yuigahama was talking, I was making sure that Yukinoshita wouldn't find out that I lost our bet. Even though I was definitely NOT addicted to the game, Yukinoshita would argue otherwise and would force me to admit a false defeat, thus forcing me to accept the penalty.

After coming up with a sufficient amount of excuses to possible questions, I found myself in front of the clubroom door. Opening the door, Yuigahama enters and I follow.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!" Yuigahama says as she hobbles to her chair.

"Yo." I contributed.

"Ara ara. You were gone for so long that we were beginning to wonder if you finally turned into a fish and swam into the deep ocean, Hikifroggy-kun." Yukinoshita mocked as she began serving the tea.

"That's funny, because I was wondering if you finally turned into a computer, Yukipedia." I remark.

"I fear that if I turn into a computer, you would use me to satisfy your hormones." She shivers with her arms around herself, acting scared.

"Even I wouldn't do something like that." I argue.

"Oh? Then you admit that you would do something lecherous, just on a lesser degree." She smirks.

"Oh, come on." I complain.

"There you two go again. Back at it with the married couple routine." Yuigahama sighs with her cheeks cupped by her hands and her elbows on the table.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Yes, Yuigahama. Please explain." Yukinoshita pushed.

"Oh, it's nothing. Forget about it." Yuigahama dismissed.

After that, club went back to normal. It was strange that Yukinoshita didn't question me more on my absence or bring up the possibility that I lost the bet.

Yuigahama started tapping away on her phone, Yukinoshita began reading a novel, while I pretended to be reading a light novel. Truthfully, I was wondering what I should do on my date with Kana-tan tomorrow. After the movie, I want to take her out to eat.

 _Oh, I know! I'll take her to Saize. I know that she'll be able to appreciate the greatness that is Saize. After all, she has already converted into a worshipper of Max Coffee._

As I was having these thoughts, I felt the gaze of two pairs of eyes on me.

"Hikigaya-kun, I may be no reading expert, but I am sure that a book is not meant to be read upside down." Yukinoshita stated.

"Hikki, is everything alright? You seem to be out of it today." Yuigahama worried.

"Everything is fine. Don't worry about it." I reassure.

"Indeed, Yuigahama-san. There is no need to worry about him. With as many problems as he's got, he will never be completely fine." Yukinoshita insisted.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, have we gotten any club requests recently?" I ask, wanting to change the subject.

"Not one since Ebina's case. And she has yet to request her game back. Speaking of which, you still have the disc, correct?" Yukinoshita says.

 _Oh, crap! I forgot that I'll have to eventually return the game and all my data will be lost! NOOOO!_

"Obviously." I blandly reply.

"We had a bet regarding that. You haven't lost yet, have you?" she asks.

"Of course not." I lie.

"Bet? What bet?" Yuigahama joins in.

Figuring it be too complicated to explain, I decided that it would be better if Yuigahama didn't know about it.

"It's nothing. Forget about it." I conclude.

"Indeed, it is nothing worth knowing." Yukinoshita agreed.

"Mou, you guys always leave me out on these things." Yuigahama pouts.

With that, the club resumed it normalcy until it was time to pack up.

Yuigahama left first, something about meeting up with Miura. So it was just me and Yukinoshita left. I figured I might as well tell her that I won't be able to make it to club tomorrow since I have my date with Kana around that time.

"Yukinoshita, I won't be able to make it to club tomorrow. I have to do something." I say.

"Oh? Hikigaya-kun with prior engagements? Surprising indeed. However, what could be so important that you cannot wait until after club?" Yukinoshita asked.

Dammit. I knew I'd have she'd ask that. I can't just give a half-assed answer, or she'll catch me. I guess I should just tell her that I'm going to watch a movie. It's not like I'm lying, right?

"I got tickets to watch the new Pan-san movie." I replied.

At the mention of Pan-san, Yukinoshita's eyes went wide.

"P-pan-san movie you say? When did you start getting into Pan-san?" Yukinoshita whispered.

"Uhh… I don't know. I guess because Komachi kept nagging me to watch it with her, and I guess it wasn't too bad." I offer.

Truth be told, that was a lie. Kana-tan kept nagging me to watch the first two Pan-san movies because they were her favorites, and that the real reason I even put up with Pan-san.

"I suppose that's understandable. After all, none can deny the greatness that is Pan-san after truly seeing how amazing it is." Yukinoshita nodded her head in agreement to what she just said.

"Yeah…."

"Now that I think about it, I was meaning to watch that movie as well. Perhaps I will cancel club activities tomorrow to celebrate your acceptance to the mystical world of Pan-san." Yukinoshita concluded.

I guess she wanted to watch the movie too. Well that's fine, as long as she doesn't get in the way of my date with Kana.

"Alright. Sounds good." I say as I get up to leave.

"Where are you going, Hikigaya-kun?" She asks just before I could exit the room.

"Home?" I offer.

"We have yet to discuss the meeting place for the movie, and you are already going home. Your lack of social gathering is quite evident." Yukinoshita says with a slight blush.

I just stand there. Shocked.

 _WHAAAAAAAAAAT? She wants me to accompany HER to the movies? But I have Kana! If I go with her instead, it'll be basically like I'm going out with another girl! I can't do that to Kana! And if I take them both, it'll be like I'm two-timing both of them! Either way, I'd be a scumbag. Either way, I'm f*cked!_

"Err… can't you take Yuigahama? Wouldn't it be better that you weren't seen with me?" I try to make reasons, any reasons, that she shouldn't take me with her.

"As unfortunate as it is, it seems that Yuigahama simply cannot appreciate the beauty of Pan-san, so she would only get bored. And since when have you cared for what others think?" She rejects both reasons.

"But… but…. But I don't have another ticket! Yeah, I only have one. So, I'm afraid I can't take you, and even if I wanted to buy another ticket, they're sold out." _Perfect. There's no way she can break down this fortress._

"Worry not, Hikigaya-kun. I have purchased VIP seating for all Pan-san movies for the next five years, so there shouldn't be an issue with the tickets." Yukinoshita reasons.

 _Of course she has VIP seating for Pan-san movies. That's it then. I'm going to be forced to spend my date with Kana-tan in the presence of our resident Ice Queen._ _If I continue to refuse her request, Yukinoshita will see it as me being suspicious, and she'll find out about Kana in no time!_

"Fine. Just text me the details later." I sigh as I begin turning around. I've already accepted my fate.

"Yes, and have a good day, Hikigaya-kun. See you tomorrow." She says to my retreating figure.

On my way back home, I realize I'll have to get Kana something to make it up to her. Thankfully (not), the game has a feature where you can convert money from your actual bank account to your in-game account to buy your girl gifts and what nots. While this feature has helped me get closer to Kana, it has also almost completely drained my savings. But I'm happy as long as Kana is happy. And to keep Kana happy, I'll have to buy another gift for her so that she is not too upset by the new predicament.

The first thing I do when I get home is go to my room, lock it, and pull out my PS Vita from a secret compartment in my dresser. After doing so, I turn Vita-chan on and browse through the plethora of gifts I can choose for Kana-tan before I confront her.

In the end, I buy her lilies because I want to give her something she can hold onto. I initially wanted roses, but they were out if stock. (This game is hella realistic.)

 _Hopefully now she won't get TOO mad at me._

With that done, I switch on the game and come face-to-face (face-to-screen) with Kana. I explain to her the problem, and as expected, she was not pleased. However, after I gave her the (digital) rose, her temper seemed to lessen and she became a bit more understanding of the situation.

"But hey, this doesn't mean that our date is cancelled. I'll just make sure Yukinoshita doesn't see you and everything should be fine." I explain.

"Hmph. You had better not let this ruin our first date." Kana simply says and walks off the screen.

It seems like not everything is a bust. After all, my date with Kana is still on! Now I just need to make sure it's enjoyable. Maybe Ishikki's will finally come in handy.

With that, I continue on with my evening and by night fall, Kana and I are back on speaking terms and we talk until I fall asleep.

There is no doubt that today was a stressful day.

I was separated from Kana for the first time in five days.

I gained the suspicion of my younger sister.

I got a lot of make-up work for missing school for three days.

And Yukinoshita has basically ruined my date with Kana.

But even after all this, today was not the worst. I had no idea about the grief that would strike me tomorrow.

After all, I failed to notice Kana's death flag.

 **Author's Note**

Sup guys, I'm back with a new chapter.

Before I say anything else, I want to say this: Yes, this is very OOC of Hachiman. After all, he is ADDICTED to a GAL GAME. There is no way he would remain his usual self in such a circumstance, so there was no other choice but to make him OOC.

With that said, how do you guys like the chapter? Weird, right? To be honest, this was a set-up chapter more than anything. I believe I can finish the story in another chapter or two, so I needed to set up a scenario with this. Sorry if it wasn't very good. I tried to make it realistic, but I have personally never been addicted to a Gal Game, so I don't know how one would actually act. I just went with what I see in anime, lol.

Anyways, I'm babbling. Thanks for the likes and favorites. Thanks ESPECIALLY for the reviews and suggestions. To be honest, those make my day, whether they be good or bad. It makes me feel good to know that people would actually read something that I made.

Until next time


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Oregairu. Oregairu is the property of Watari Wataru.

Part 3:

There I was, next to a statue of some giant elephant, waiting for Yukinoshita to arrive for our outing. I was a full 30 minutes ahead, granted there was a reason for it. Though I was coerced into participating in this outing, I would not let it deter me from my true goal: enjoy my first date with Kana-chan. I could not let Yukinoshita and Kana meet, for it would mean my loss in the bet between us. To work around the fact that Yukinoshita would be in my vicinity for the majority of the afternoon, I made arrangements with Kana to start our date 20 minutes before the designated meet-up time of 4:30 with Yukinoshita.

The minutes felt like hours. It was still 4:03 and my date with Kana starts at 4:10. I start to feel anxious. I pat my pockets to make sure I have my wallet, run my hand through my hair as a pseudo-comb, and pop a breath mint into my mouth, just to be safe.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I hear a slight _Ding!_ Come from Vita-chan, telling me that Kana has come. I can feel my heart beating.

With bated breath, I turned on my console and opened up ECSTACY GIRLS. Awaiting me on the other side of the screen was Kana-chan, donning a white blouse, black miniskirt, knee-high socks, and white slippers while her hair was up in a pony-tail. Truly… she looks great in anything.

My eyes linger on her as my mouth opens up, only to have nothing come out. I try again.

"Uhhh.."

"Hachi, either say something or close your mouth. And stop staring at me with those lecherous eyes. I fear for my chastity."

"Um..umm… you look really good. Like REALLY good…" I stammer out.

"Ohh… thank you. You don't look too shabby yourself." Kana says with a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

 _I gotta thank Komachi for preparing these sets of clothes for me on the off-chance that I actually score a date. Maybe some mochi will do._

"Ahh… thank you. Anyways, the movie will start at 4:45. I have to meet up with Yukinoshita at 4:30, but knowing her she'll be here at least 5 minutes ahead. Given that, we—" I start to say, but I notice Kana's face turn a bit sour when she hears Yukinoshita's name.

"Listen Hachi. I don't like this Yukinoshita girl butting into our date the way she is. The only reason I'm tolerating this is because I don't want you to lose the bet and therefore have to go on a separate date with her." She ranted. The last part left me a bit confused.

"I think you're misunderstanding. If I lose, Yukinoshita said I'd have to be her bag-boy, carrying around all her things as she goes out to shop. That's not a date." I say, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Dear lord, my Hachi is so naïve. Listen, the man is not the person who constitutes what is and isn't a date. And by everything you've told me this Yukinoshita character, this would definitely fall under a date." Kana declared, pointing her finger at my chest.

"No, that can't be. Yukinoshita and I banter with each other too much." I point out.

"Hachi." She says.

"Yes?" I reply.

"WE BANTER A LOT! And we're in a relationship. Now do you understand?!" She explodes.

I fall into deep thought. The gears begin to turn as I begin to make the connections throughout all my encounters with Yukinoshita. Just as everything was about to click, my train of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice."

"Ara ara, do my eyes deceive me or has Hikigaya-kun finally gained the common sense to actually be on time for a chance?" Yukinoshita muses as she walks up to me.

 _Crap! I can't let her see Kana!_

With lightning speed, I put my arm behind my back and place my Vita into my back pocket before Yukinoshita can see or Kana can retaliate.

 _I'm totally gonna get it from Kana later…_

"Ahhh, Yukinoshita. As you can see, even someone who lack punctuality manages to mind the time every once in a while. Speaking of which, aren't you a bit early?" I ask. _Like 10 minutes too early?_

I was slightly peeved that my time with Kana was cut short by the unexpected interruption.

"Oh, umm, I just happened to leave my apartment early, hehe…" Yukinoshita meekly explains.

"I see, makes sense. Anyhow, let's make our way to the theatre. Might as well make the best of the situation and grab good seats." I turn around and walk towards our destination.

Moments later, I realize that I don't hear footsteps following me. I turn around to find a scowling Yukinoshita, with her arms crossed and a foot tapping the ground impatiently.

"What's wrong?" I inquire.

She doesn't say anything.

I ponder on what the problem could be. Just then, I remember a very important lesson from all the trashy light novels I read. Always compliment a girl's outfit. But wait… that only applies to dates. Well, whatever, as long as it gets the job done.

"I forgot to mention, but you look nice. Ummm… that shirt really brings out the color of your eyes." I respond to the intimidating silence.

And to be honest, she did look stunning. She was wearing a peach cream colored sleeveless blouse, a white and navy blue striped miniskirt, and thigh high socks.

 _Hmmm… this style seems eerily familiar…_

"Oh… thank you. And you look more presentable than usual. Of course, not saying you usually look presentable." She quips.

With that concluded, we head toward the direction of the theater, with me ahead and her a few paces behind. As we neared the theater, Yukinoshita became more and more energetic, her enthusiasm for the movie almost exuding from her body. Funny thing is, when we got to the line for the Pan-san movie, we were the only high schoolers as the rest were a bunch of elementary school kids and their respective parents. It was embarrassing to say the least. I glanced over at Yukinoshita to see that she didn't mind, as she had her eyes on the door, anticipating the opening time. It's scary how she was more excited about a kid's show than most of these ACTUAL kids. I sigh.

After about 10 minutes of waiting and me poking fun at the expense of her childish enthusiasm, the doors finally opened. As we got to the door, I was about to give my ticket when Yukinoshita swatted my hands away.

"We don't need those. We can use my VIP pass." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

I initially thought she was kidding when she told me she had VIP passes any and every Pan-san event, but for it to actually be true… rich girls are scary.

Kind of disappointed that I ended up spending money on a ticket for no reason, I pocketed it and let Yukinoshita lead me to the VIP section. It was all the way up front where the usual semi-comfortable seats were replaced with Laz-Z Boy recliners… holy.

Yukinoshita looked at me with a knowing smirk and I pointed at the recliners hopingly. She gave a nod of confirmation along with a giggle, and I sunk into the recliner.

"Yukinoshita, I may or may not enjoy the movie, but I can guarantee that the trip was worth it." I say as I make myself comfortable on the recliner.

"Worry not. This much is nothing for me. But if you want to show your appreciation, go get us some snacks." She replies.

Too grateful to reject the request, I get up to the food stand and get in line. Whilst in line, I remember that I totally threw Kana under the bus. Nervous, I pull out my Vita and turn on the console. Immediately, I am met with the glaring face of my current (hopefully?) girlfriend. She looks as if someone took all her dollar bills and replaced them for the same amount, only now in pennies. That's how mad she looked.

"Kana, look, I can explain. Yukinoshita came a bit earlier than anticipated, so I had to hide you from her. Honest!" I try to explain.

"-Sigh- Hachi, I knew you were a screw-up to begin with, so I can't really blame anyone but myself. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. You have to make it up to me." She reasons.

I can't really argue, so I give a nod.

"Of course. But listen, I've got good news. The seats we have at the theater are recliners! And there probably won't even be people sitting beside us, so I'll be able to sit you at a chair without letting you be seen by Yukinoshita!" I happily comment.

Thanks to this, I won't have to take drastic measures to hide Kana's existence from Yukinoshita.

"This is probably thanks to Yukinoshita, huh? Hmph, I can't believe my guy relies on the merits of another girl while on a date with his actual girlfriend." Kana pouts.

"Cmon, Kana-tan. I'm trying my best here…" I try to reason.

By this time, I was next up in the snack line. I got a bucket of popcorn, so licorice, and two sodas to take share with Yukinoshita.

When I get back, I see Yukinoshita on her phone, on what seems to be her camera app on her selfie feature…. And she was using it to fix her hair? I had no idea that Yukinoshita did girly things like that. Oh well.

"Got the snacks." I say as I take my seat.

As I sat down next to her, Yukinoshita gave a slight yelp and jumped from her seat a bit, obviously surprised.

"Oh, it's just you." She gasped.

"Yeah, who else could it be? Seems like we're the only two VIPs, right? But I guess you were too busy checking yourself out, Ms. Conceited." I comment.

"No, I was just –" She tried to argue.

"Shh, the movie's about to start." I pointed out, and the conversation ended.

As planned, as soon as Yukinoshita's focus was turned toward the screen, I pulled out my Vita and turned on the game so that I was met with Kana.

"Has the movie started?" Kana mouthed, careful not to garner the attention of a certain Ice Queen.

I nod my confirmation and put her in her own seat, positioning her so she is out of Yukinoshita's field of vision, and has full view of the screen so that she could enjoy the movie.

…

45 minutes into the movie, and I'm bored out of my mind. To make matters worse, what I expected to be a romantic movie date with Kana has turned into a session where I am constantly second place in priority to a damned Panda. It was ridiculous. Kana had her eyes absolutely glued to the screen, eyes full of delight.

On the bright side, she WAS enjoying the movie, at least. And she just looks too adorable when she's glued to something like this. God I wish that Panda was me.

Yukinoshita was also sitting besides me, in a similar manner to Kana. With her entire attention on the movie, I wonder why I worried about Kana being found out during the screening.

With the two girls sitting on either side of me completely engaged in the movie, I tried to follow their example, but was unsuccessful at the attempt. So I just sat there.

Still, sitting in the middle of two girls… made me feel some type of way. Like a damned normalfag. And I hate normalfags. I take pride in my loner-istic idealism, and this does not bode well for my personal aphorism.

I move my hand to grab some popcorn, as was my ritual every 2 minutes, but this time I was met with an unexpected soft feeling. Looking in the bucket, I see that Yukinoshita and I both tried to grab popcorn at the same time, and our hands had collided. I look at her, and she looks at me, and blushes.

 _God dammit, woman, don't blush! You're gonna make me blush! You're gonna get me in trouble with Kana!_

I break eye contact and pull some popcorn from another area of the bucket and resume pretending to watch the movie. I take a quick glance at Kana to see if she saw the transaction, but thankfully it seemed that she hadn't.

After another 45 minutes battling the boredom that had me in a sleeper hold, the movie was finally over.

 _Thank fuckin' god!_

After these two grueling hours, I seriously have to question the two girls' mental age.

As soon as the movie ended, I quickly pocketed the Vita after letting Kana know that I'll talk to her soon. Walking out the theater, I was engaged with a multitude if comments about the movie from Yukinoshita herself. She was both complimenting the movie and also criticizing it, like she was a damned movie-reviewer, just Pan-san exclusive. I just nodded and grunted in agreement, so as to avoid a conflict with a rabid movie fan. Eventually, we made it back to where we met up.

"Whelp, looks like I'll take my leave here. Thanks for the VIP seats, see you tomorrow." I say.

"Oh? Ahh, okay. Then, I'll see you tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun. And thank you for accompanying me on this splendid dat… I mean movie outing." She said with a disappointed look on her face.

I felt kind of bad about that, but I had another duty to fulfill.

I walk away, and a good distance later, I pull out my Vita and am face to face with an excited Kana. Again, I am met with a barrage of comments about how good the movie was, but how it could have been better, and whatnot. And again, I just agree to everything.

"I mean, Hachi, the movie was amazing on a quantum level. It met all the expectations, and went even further beyond. Don't you think that Pan-san is so amazing?" Kana chirps.

"Yep, Totally. I'm totally glad that we got to go see it." I say. And, honestly, I kind of am. If it could make my girlfriend THIS happy, then I guess it had some good qualities in it after all.

"Truly. I appreciate the fact that you invited me out very much, so thank you. And as a treat, I'll even let you…" she was about to say.

"Hikigaya-kun wait! You dropped your wallet. It fell when you—" Yukinoshita started to say before she saw me, with my hand holding up a PS Vita, talking to the girl on the screen."

 _Crap, I'm busted. And I don't even know what the treat is that Kana was talking about…_

I slowly begin to turn around to face her, knowing that I've been found out. She has a look of confusion for a bit, but after putting two and two together, her mouth turned into a condescending smirk.

"Oh ho, what's this? Hikigaya, what do you have there? It couldn't be, by any chance, the electronic game that we've acquired from Ebina-san last week, could it? That would just be a shame, it'd mean you'd have lost the bet." She jested. She began walking closer, the amusement on her face becoming more than I can bare.

"Now listen here, I have by no means lost the bet. You clearly specified that it'd be my loss in the case where there was an incident involving this subject matter." I defend, pointing at my Vita.

"Oh? So this is no incident? Nothing that raises alarm? You HAVEN'T become fanatical about the game that you've accrued?" Yukinoshita questions.

"Of course not." I scoff.

"Then answer this, why were you absent for the majority of last week?" She continues.

"Hasn't Yuigahama told you? I was sick." I respond.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I confirmed it with Komachi-san, would you." Her smirk gets… smugger.

"You… you wouldn't dare…" I whisper in fear.

God, as much as I love Kana-chan, I cannot lose my standing as Komachi's elder brother. If she ever found out that I've become a pseudo-NEET, she'd disown me!

"Oh, but I would." Yukinoshita takes a step closer.

I take a step back and raise my hands.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You got me, I did become a bit addicted over the game, but honestly, it's not my fault! This game is too good. Through it, I've made a friend!" I raise the screen of the console so that Yukinoshita comes face to face with Yukinoshita.

Yukinoshita covers her mouth, and tried to stifle her laughter, failing remarkably. I give her a few minutes to compose herself. She's just too ignorant of the greatness of Kana-chan, or else she wouldn't be laughing. Hmph.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just surprised that you actually became obsessed with a 2-D virtual character. To think that the proud Loner King himself would succumb to a girl on a screen." She chuckled.

"Excuuuuuuuuse me. How dare you belittle my relationship with Hachi?!" Kana interrupts angrily, speaking for the first time. "I've kept my mouth shut all this time for Hachi, but you just crossed the line."

"Ummm, what would you be?" Yukinoshita confusedly asks, squinting at the PS Vita's screen.

"I am Hachi's GIRLfriend, and we actually happen to be on a date, so we'd appreciate it if you'd leave us alone. Actually, you already interrupted it when you invited yourself to the movie with Hachi, so you really need to go." Kana declares with a shoo-ing motion with her hand.

"H-hachi? You mean Hikigaya?" Yukinoshita turned a little pale.

"Who else would I mean." An annoyed Kana answers.

Yukinoshita turns to me daunting look on her face.

"Hikigaya... care to explain?" She snarled.

 _She dropped the honorifics…. Oh god, she must be really mad._

Too scared to deny her an explanation, I summarized what happened since I got the game. She listened intently, never interrupting. She was especially attentive at the part where I told her about how me and Kana got closer. She had a look on her face that I can't really describe… something that says "I shoulda done that!"

"And here we are." I conclude my story.

"I see… perhaps I cannot fault you entirely, knowing full well that you are a weak man." She sighs.

"So, does that mean I'm off the hook?" I ask, hopefully.

"Absolutely not. A bet is a bet, and you lost. Therefore, you will adhere to the penalty. But as I share the blame for causing you to… transform like this, I will help you in this dilemma in addiction." She proclaims with determination.

"How… how are you going to do that?" I ask, slightly scared at the possibilities. If at all possible, I'd rather not be apart from Kana.

"By doing this."

Yukinoshita snatches the PS Vita from my hand.

"Hey, what are you doi-" Kana tried to say before Yukinoshita pressed the button to eject the game disc. She grabbed it and held it over her head.

That's when I realized what she was going to do.

"Yukinoshita… I know what you're about to do, but don't do it. You are holding a life in your hand. The life… the life of MY SOULMATE." I plead miserably.

"I'm doing this for you, Hikigaya-kun. Please don't hate me for this." Yukinoshita replies solemnly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I scream as Yukinoshita throws the small disc on the ground with all her might. I brace for its impact and watch as it makes contact with the ground.

Huh… the disc seems okay. There was no smack or anything when it landed. Is this really the extent of Yukinoshita's strength? Hah! For the first time ever, I am thankful for Yukinoshita's lack in physical prowess. This was clearly a sign from God himself. Kana is to be saved!

"Look, Yukinoshita! The disc is alright! It's a sign tha-" I excitedly begin to report before the words die in my mouth as I see Yukinshita's shoe smash into the disc, breaking it into pieces.

And just like that, the person that was Kana, the girl whom I love, is erased from existence and a single man tear falls from my left eye.

 _Hello darkness, my old friend…_

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

So, we meet again, eh?

I know, I know. I'm like 2 weeks late on the chapter. I'm lazy. I'm a dick. And you're right. I'm a lazy dick. With that established, I still want to apologize for the late update. To be honest, I always had a problem with procrastination, and this summer is no different. I just watch anime and play league all day, but I still manage to get bored every now and then. But I still hold off on my duties. So, I'm very sorry, I truly can't help it. (watching Gundam: Blood-Iron Children. 9/10 would recommend. Good story.)

That aside, how was part 3? I'd like to think that I had a pretty good twist at the end, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.

As always, thanks for the reviews, suggestions, likes, and favorites! The next chapter will be about the aftermath of the tragedy that has befallen our hero, 8man. Look forward to it.

Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Oregairu. Oregairu is the property of Watari Wataru.**

 **Part 4:**

 _I am the garner of my lonesome,_

 _Pain is my body, and sorrow is my heart._

 _I have made just a single friend._

 _Unaware of her influence,_

 _Nor aware of her last words!_

 _Waiting for her return…_

 _I have so many regrets, I miss her so much!_

 _My whole life was_

 _Unlimited Kana Works!_

 **-** Knock Knock **-**

"Onii-chan, I'm leaving for school. I left some breakfast for you in the fridge, made with all my love, so please eat it! And please… Onii-chan, get better soon. I miss you…" She says through my bedroom door. When I don't respond, I hear a soft sigh and receding footsteps, indicating that she was walking away.

 _I'm sorry, Komachi. I hate it, but I can't let you see me in this state. I am a shell of the man I once was, unworthy of your affection. Please… be patient with your weak Onii-chan._

They say that the first stage of separation is denial, and it is something I can personally attest to. Following the destruction of the love of my life, I immediately became deluded, convinced that I could piece together all the shards of the broken disc and retrieve my dear Kana. I was down on all fours, scavenging the pavement, looking for every single piece, I continued like this until Yukinoshita touched my shoulder, knelt next to me, and shook her head. "It's over, Hikigaya."

The second stage is almost always anger. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, I too lashed out at Yukinoshita. I smacked her hand off my shoulder and stood up, pointing at her. "YOU! YOU DEVIL! HOW COULD YOU KILL ANOTHER WITHOUT ANY RHYME OR REASON! IF NOT FOR YOU, KANA WOULD BE ALIVE!" I say as I storm off. If my life was a stream going downhill in one direction, then Kana is a rock that caused me to go another. And Yukinoshita was a dam that cut off all routes for my happiness.

The third stage is bargaining. Or in my case, replacing. I spent the next couple of days out of school, trying to find a replacement that will fill the void that Kana left in my heart. But alas, it was not to be. Trying to recreate what Kana and I had with other heroines from different games… it wasn't the same. You know the feeling you get when you look at yourself after concluding one of your "study sessions"? Well that's what I felt towards myself whenever I tried to replace the part of my heart that belonged to Kana: disgust. After a number of trial and error, I realized it was time to stop.

It's been a week since THAT day, and I've been holed up in my room since. I suppose you could say that I'm in the fourth stage: depression. These days, I just lay in bed thinking about her cute smile. And as masochistic as it sounds, I wish she would degrade me just one more time. _But I'm not a masochist. I'M NOT._

A while after Komachi left, the doorbell rang. As no one else was home, it was my duty answer the door and greet the visitor. However, in my current state, I feel inadequate for the job and thus choose to ignore it, assuming they will go away if I cause the impression that no one is home. However, much to my dismay, the doorbell didn't cease to ring, and it was apparent that I was going to have to fulfill my duty, regardless of my ability to. So, I get off my bed, wrap my blanket around myself, and drag my feet to the door. As I opened the door, the sunlight hits my eyes and I am unable to see the face of my visitor.

Though I could not clearly see the face, the features that I could see caused my eyes to widen. Waist-length black hair. A white shirt with a ribbon for a tie and a navy-blue blazer. Low skirt. Thigh-high tights. Even through the sunlight I could make out her piercing blue eyes. _You guys already know who it is._

"KANA! IT'S REALLY YOU! I THOUGHT I LOST YOU FOREVER!" I quickly escape the bundles of my blankets and embrace the figure. "I knew you'd be reincarnated. Someone like you simply can't—"

"Err… Hikigaya-kun. Could you please let go? You're suffocating me…" The figure gasps out.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. Just call me Hachi like you usually do. If you want, you can even call me trash!" I offer as I loosen my grip.

"Umm… okay… H-hachi." With that, I was on cloud nine.

"Come in, come in. I'll make you some tea." I lead her into the house and show her to the couch. "Have a seat." I go into the kitchen and prepare a cup of green tea. After many attempts of trying to make the perfect cup for my dear Kana, I was satisfied. I walked back into the living room where Kana was with the cup in my hand, ready to give it to her. And that's when I finally took a closer look at my 'Kana'.

Blue eyes, doll-like face. Just like Kana's. But when I took a closer look… her bosom… her bosom was too flat! My mind races to put two and two together and that's when I came to a frightening realization: This person isn't Kana.

"IMPOSTOR! IMPOSTOR! WHO ARE YOU, YOU IRONING BOARD?!" I shout accusingly.

"Ironing board? What are you talking about, Hachi?!" The impostor responded, perplexed.

"Silence, Villian. Never call me that again. You may have been able to fool me into thinking you were my darling Kana, but you've been discovered! Who are you?!" I demand.

"No one was trying to trick you, you fool. Hikigaya, it's me, Yukinoshita."

"Y-yukinoshita?" I stutter. _Why would she be here? Hasn't she already done enou…_ My heart stops. "Oh god… you've… you've come to finish the job, haven't you"

"Huh? What are you talking ab-"

"You've come to kill me, haven't you?! You killed Kana and you want to silence me! MURDERER! THERE'S A MURDERER IN MY HOUSE!" I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping someone, anyone, would hear me. I fumble through my pockets, trying to find a phone to call the cops, but remember in horror that I left it in my room.

I attempt to run up the stairs and hide in my room, but just halfway up the stairs, a hand gripped my leg and made me trip. The hand was Yukinoshita's. She dragged me down the stairs and made me turn so that I would face her.

"YUKINOSHITA-SAMA, PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME. I WON'T SAY A WORD. I SWEAR." I plead for my life as Yukinoshita has a vice grip on my leg.

"Jesus Christ, Hiratsuka-sensei wasn't kidding about what she said when we first met. You are petty." Yukinoshita says with a sigh. "Listen, Hikigaya. I'm not here to hurt you."

"… let go of my leg then." I say, still suspicious.

"You'll just run away again if I do that. First promise me that you'll come down, so we can talk things out." She plea bargain.

"I… I accept the plea bargain." I acquiesced. I had no choice.

"Hikigaya-kun, stop acting like this is a crime scene." Yukinoshita says as she lets go of my leg and leads me back into the living room.

 _For all I know, it still might be._

As Yukinoshita settles on the couch, I find a spot as far away from her as possible. For the sake of safety. All this did was elicit another sigh from Yukinoshita.

There were a few minutes of silence where neither of us said anything. These few minutes were probably the scariest of my life, as I didn't know whether or not Yukinoshita changed her mind about putting me six feet under. _Komachi, please don't cry for me. You have to be strong._ Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Yukinoshita broke the silence.

"-cough- So, Hikigaya…" She starts.

"Y-yes?" I stand up, flinching.

"I want to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you and I'm sorry for breaking that game. You've been gone from school for an entire week, and I got worried about you. I came today in the hopes of rekindling our relationship and bringing you back to school." Yukinoshita solemnly intoned as she stood up and took an apologetic bow.

"I-is that so? T-then why did you pretend to be Kana? Was that just a way to make me put my guard down? To let you into my house?" I question, feeling a bit safer from her earlier apology.

Yukinoshita raiser her head and again takes on a confused look.

"You mentioned that before, but I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not impersonating anyone, not to my knowledge at least." Yukinoshita assures.

"How can that be when both you and Kana…"

Suddenly, something clicks. _Kana… and Yukinoshita…_ _they're both… oh god… Long black hair… Sobu High uniform… snarky attitude… loves Pan-san… dear lord, they're the same people._

The revelation proving to be too much, my legs weakened, and I found myself taking a knee.

"This world… is too cruel." I mutter lifelessly.

"HIKIGAYA, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Yukinoshita yells as she rushes to my side. I give her a nod.

"Yes, I just realized how beauty can blossom from destruction." I say looking at Yukinoshita with a sad smile.

"What are you talking about, Hikigaya?" Yukinoshita asks with her head slightly tilted.

"It's nothing. Rather, I have a request. Would you hear me out?" I softly ask. I give her smile to reassure her.

Yukino hesitates but finally nods her head in agreement.

"This has been a long and tiresome morning. But thanks to the events that have transpired, I have come terms with a few things. So, will you, Yukinoshita" I began my request as Yukinoshita leans forward, listening intently, "get me some food."

"…" Yukinoshita remained still, the only movement being her eye twitch.

"The morning was so hectic that I haven't eaten breakfast yet. And all the running around made me too weak to even stand up. Komachi left some food in the fridge" I say as I turn around to point at the fridge.

That's when I heard a large **_THUMP_** along with a sharp pain on my head and my vision turning darker and darker.

 _Oh god, she's decided to kill me…_

 **A Few Months Later…**

"—thank you so much for helping me with my request." A girl says as she bows. We, the service club, have once again completed another task, effectively saving another life. You may say I'm over-exaggerating, but believe me when I say even the smallest things can spiral your life out of control.

It's been a fairly long time since I've accepted the fact that Kana is… well, you know. As you can see, I'm not dead, meaning that Yukinoshita didn't kill me that day. Since then, I've returned to school and resumed my daily life, majoring in Lonerism. It was hard to explain the situation, but with Yukinoshita's help, I somehow managed. I got a few questionable looks and a few heartless gorgons laugh at my expense (Hiratsuka-sensei and Haruno), but I managed not to jump off a building. I was able to return to my rightful place as Komachi's Onii-chan thanks to her infinite generosity. Also since then, I have yet to touch another gal game. I think I'll just stick with my trashy light novels.

However, I feel as if I forgot a crucial revelation that day after Yukinoshita knocked me out by whacking me on the head for no reason.

"Think nothing of it." Yukinoshita responds and soon our client leaves the room.

"Whew, that request was a real doozy, huh guys." Yuigahama says as she slumps against her chair. Just then, a ding comes from her phone indicating that she got a text. She pulls it out and reads it.

"Err… guys. Seems like Miura and the gang invited me out to karaoke so..." she trails off.

"You can leave early today." Yukinoshita proposes, already anticipating the request.

"Thank you so much, Yukinon." Yuigahama delights as she pounces on Yukinoshita for a hug.

Soon after she said her farewells, Yuigahama leaves and I am alone in the room with Yukinoshita. None of us spoke a word and we just read our respective novels until the end of club activities. Finally, at departure time, Yukinoshita breaks the silence by clearing her throat.

"So, Hikigaya-kun, do you recall a certain bet we made a few months ago?" She inquires expectedly.

"Can't say that I do." _Of course I do._

"Well allow me to refresh your memory. 'Kana-tan, you look so—" I stop her with my hand before she can do any more damage to my HP.

"I remember! I remember!" I avow regretfully.

She stands there smirking, basking in her glorious victory.

"So, I assume you also remember the penalty. If my memory serves me right, I believe you are going to assist me this upcoming Saturday." She proudly professes.

"S-SATURDAY? That's Valentine's Day. Shouldn't we do this another day?!" I say nervously.

"S-shut up. A new Pan-san movie is coincidentally debuting that day and I decided that you would come as my dat-… baggage boy. Don't you dare try to back out of this now, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita demands, her face as red as a tomato. _She must be pissed._

Deciding not to anger her further, I nod my head and accept my fate.

We lock up the clubroom and walk outside towards the entrance gate. Just as we were both about to make our separate turns, Yukinoshita says one last thing.

"And just so you are aware, I retain charge of this excursion. As such, I'm giving myself the authority to call you 'Hachi'. D-don't read too much into it!" She says bashfully as she scurries away.

As I look at her receding figure, I repeat what she said again in my head. _I feel like I'm missing something here…_

All of a sudden, my eyes widen as I recall the revelation I uncovered all those months ago…

THE END

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Guess whose back? Wait you probably don't know cuz I changed my name.

Anyways, I owe you guys a huge apology. I know I say it every time, but I mean it. I could blame it on this or that, but it's really just my laziness kicking into hyperdrive.

All that aside, guess who got into the college of his choice? This guy! I've received an email confirming my acceptance just two days ago and I'm feeling ecstatic. I wanted to share my happiness so here I am!

So, how do you guys like the chapter? It's been a while since I've let my creative juices flow, so hopefully I didn't butcher the chapter. I'll admit, I had a lot of fun coming up with this ending and I hope you guys can see it through my writing. And just to answer any lingering doubts, no there will not be another chapter in "A Dilemma in Addiction". This is the last chapter Thoughts?

I appreciate all reviews, opinions, critics, suggestions, you name it. I encourage it all. And if any of you have a story idea you want me to write because you're feeling too lazy (I know that feel), put it in the review section and I'll take it into consideration.

Anyways, I'm rambling so I'll cut myself off now.

Until next time


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